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Beware the Secular Police
Op-Ed
National Post
September 16, 2013
It was not enough that the Parti Quebecois’ “language police” gave us Pastagate. Now they want to give us Kippagate. Should their Charter of Quebec Values be adopted, it seems sadly certainly that Quebec will once again be in the headlines of all the world’s major newspapers after an orthodox Jewish surgeon is escorted out of a hospital by the new “Secular Police” in the middle of performing surgery. A ridiculous notion, absolutely. But after watching this government for a year, it is hard to put anything past them.
Following their failed attempt to divide Quebecers through language policy, the PQ is now attempting to divide us by stigmatizing religious minorities. The PQ will argue that its proposed Charter treats all religions equally. But it does not. There is no required dress that I am aware of that religious Catholics must wear at all times. This is not true of many minority religions. Practicing Sikh men are supposed to wear turbans, many Muslim women choose to wear a hijab because they believe it is their religious duty, some Jewish men believe they must wear a kippa. The PQ’s proposal would essentially require these individuals to choose between their faith or keeping their jobs in the civil service, education and health care. Beyond being an affront to freedom of religion, this proposal will make our civil service, already dominated by white francophones, even less diverse.
The Parti Quebecois government continues to espouse the view that its narrow minded policies somehow reflect the values and beliefs of all Quebecers, or at least all good Quebecers. It also presumes that the values of the majority should trump the rights of the minority.
As the mayor of a city composed of people of many cultures, languages and religions, I categorically oppose this proposed Charter. It does not reflect my values or the values of most of the people I know. My values are those set out in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Quebec Charter of Rights. My values are that the rights of the individual are sacrosanct. Nothing in my values tells me that a civil servant working in my city is somehow harming our society by wearing religious attire.
In Cote Saint-Luc, we have civil servants who wear kippas and turbans and large ornamental crosses. Not one of my residents has ever complained. Just because these civil servants dress in this way does not mean that Cote Saint-Luc is not a secular city. We respect and support all religions and those who have no religion, we do not favour one position over another and an employee who dresses a certain way does not force their religion on others. My residents care about the service our civil servants provide not how they dress. Our goal is to have diversity in our civil service and that will not be achieved by telling various groups they need not apply.
Would the menorah on our lawn be banned, even though the Jewish community has been here since 1760?
Indeed, the issues a municipality would face under this Charter go well beyond the dress of civil servants. Recently Cote Saint-Luc council agreed to erect flags in honour of the 50th anniversary of Saint Richard Church. Would this be permitted under the Charter? At winter holiday time we have a Christmas tree and menorah on our lawn. Would this be permitted? According to the PQ, the Christmas tree is OK as it is part of Quebec’s cultural heritage. Does this mean the menorah would be banned, even though the Jewish community has been here since 1760? I have enough on my plate as mayor without having to worry about violating the law by supporting our local churches and synagogues.
Of course our council would vote for the five-year exemption under the law permitting us to opt out of certain provisions of the Charter. But who knows how the government would then treat those municipalities that applied for exemptions? Moreover, even if I managed to protect my own civil servants by invoking the exemption, is it fair that a civil servant in a neighbouring town is forced to choose between their faith and their job because a majority of their council did not support obtaining an exemption?
A few months ago, I was appalled by Bill 14, which sought to tough Quebec’s language laws. But my faith, if that term is still permitted, was restored by the lack of support the government received once the proposed law was understood. I hope the same is the case for the Charter of Quebec Values.
Anthony Housefather is an attorney and the Mayor of City of Cote Saint-Luc.
Read on the National Post website
Comme un congédiement déguisé
Publié le 25 septembre 2013
La Presse, page A22
MITCHELL BROWNSTEIN
L’auteur est avocat en immigration et en droit du travail, et conseiller municipal de la Ville de Côte-Saint-Luc.
La charte des valeurs québécoises proposée est une agression flagrante des droits fondamentaux. Dans une province dotée d’une telle richesse et diversité des communautés ethniques, je ne peux croire qu’un projet de la sorte puisse devenir une loi.
Le gouvernement du Parti québécois envoie un message insidieux que certaines personnes ne sont pas bienvenues au Québec. En tant que Québécois responsables, nous avons le devoir de nous opposer à cette charte et de faire connaître à tous les citoyens les dangers d’une telle proposition.
Des avocats de notre firme ont participé à des missions d’affaires avec le gouvernement du Québec (Équipe Canada et Missions Équipe Québec) et ont constaté que nos gouvernements provinciaux, qu’ils aient été libéral ou péquiste, faisaient la promotion du Québec comme étant une communauté multiculturelle qui accueille les personnes du monde entier, qui leur offre la possibilité de devenir membres à part entière de notre société, tout en conservant leurs croyances religieuses et leur culture.
Le paradoxe est qu’après une telle sollicitation, le gouvernement Marois décide que ces mêmes personnes ne sont pas les bienvenues au Québec.
Plusieurs de nos clients qui ont choisi le Québec comme patrie portent le hijab, le turban, la kippa, des croix ornementales et autres symboles religieux. Ils sont médecins, avocats, enseignants, ingénieurs, gens d’affaires, étudiants. Ils viennent ici avec le plus grand désir de contribuer à la société québécoise. Ils travaillent dans les secteurs privé et public et ont choisi de s’établir à Montréal parce qu’ils pensaient qu’on les accueillerait comme membres à part entière de la société et qu’ils pourraient y exercer leur droit à la liberté religieuse.
Si cette charte entre en vigueur, les personnes qui travaillent dans le secteur public comme enseignants, infirmières ou médecins seront incités à renoncer de porter leur habit religieux ou culturel, ou bien à démissionner. Les Québécois ne devraient pas avoir à choisir entre leurs croyances religieuses et leur bien-être économique. En droit du travail, c’est ce qu’on appelle un congédiement déguisé.
En vertu du droit existant, un congédiement déguisé confère à l’individu les mêmes droits et recours contre ses employeurs qu’un licenciement injustifié, puisque les changements dans les conditions d’emploi, forçant l’individu à démissionner, équivalent à un congédiement.
Cet argument est celui que le gouvernement fédéral devrait utiliser pour illustrer la nature inconstitutionnelle de ce projet de charte des valeurs québécoises. Si ce projet devait être adopté à l’Assemblée nationale, elle va clairement violer les droits religieux de l’individu garantis par la Charte canadienne des droits et des libertés.
En tant que conseiller municipal de la Ville de Côte-Saint-Luc, je suis très fier de faire partie d’un conseil dirigé par le maire Anthony Housefather, à l’intérieur duquel nous défendons ardemment les droits des minorités individuelles.